Current Affairs 28 April 2020

We are here for you to provide the important Recent and Latest Current Affairs 28 April 2020, which have unique updates of Latest Current Affairs 2020 events from all newspapers such as The Hindu, The Economic Times, PIB, Times of India, PTI, Indian Express, Business Standard and all Government official websites.

Our Current Affairs April 2020 events will help you to get more marks in Banking, Insurance, SSC, Railways, UPSC, CLAT and all State Government Exams. Also, try our Latest Current Affairs Quiz and Monthly Current Affairs 2020 PDF which will be a pedestrian to crack your exams.

Date-Wise Current Affairs April 2020 PDF for Paid Users – Click Here to Know More

Top 25 Current Affairs of 28 April 2020

NATIONAL AFFAIRS

Australia cancels premier multilateral air combat training exercise Pitch Black 2020: COVID-19

i.The premier multilateral air combat training Exercise Pitch Black 2020 scheduled from July 27 to August 14 is cancelled by Australia due to the current and anticipated impacts of the worldwide pandemic of COVID-19.
ii.The next edition of the exercise is scheduled in 2022….Click here to Read More

Labour Ministry declared banking industry as public utility service under ID Act 1947 till October 21, 2020

i.It means the employees and officers of the banking sector are barred to do any strikes from April 21, 2020, to October, 21,2020. This decision has been taken due to the adverse impact of COVID-19 on economic activities.
ii.A public utility service (PUS) is defined under Section 2(n) of the Industrial Disputes Act (ID Act), 1947.
iii.ID Act secures industrial peace and harmony by providing mechanism and procedure for the investigation and settlement of industrial disputes….Click here to Read More

#MyBookMyFriendcampaign launched by HRD Minister on World Book Day

On 24th April 2020, on account of the World Book Day the Union Minister of Human Resource and Development(HRD), Ramesh Pokhriyal ‘Nishank’ launched #MyBookMyFriendcampaign in his social media along with the video message saying that when you open a book you open a new world and he said that books are the best friends of a person which inspires and provides a way of thinking and guide in difficult times.
He said that this World Book Day is celebrated in the lockdown and he asked the students to read books of their interest in addition to the subject books and share about the book they are reading with him in the social media using #MyBookMyFriend.
He tagged various Union Ministers on his social media to join the #MyBookMyFriend campaign along with prominent personalities from various parts of the nation to join this campaign to inspire all the people. He mentioned that the campaign will run for the next seven days for the people to join the campaign.

INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS

Global military expenditure sees largest annual increase in a decade in  2019 , US tops,India in 3rd position: SIPRI

i.According to a new report by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute the total global military expenditure rose to USD 1,917 billion in 2019, which represents an annual growth of 3.6% compared to 2018.
ii.For the 1st time two Asian countries,  China(2nd), India(3rd) also listed….Click here to Read More

UNCTAD predicted $3.4 trillion debt for developing countries in 2020-2021; Global Debt Deal required

i.For high-income developing countries it will rise between $2 trillion and $2.3 trillion while for middle and low-income countries it will mount between $666 billion and $1.06 trillion.
ii.The report has suggested a “global debt deal”to reduce financial pressure on developing countries amid coronavirus crisis.
iii.COVID-19 crisis will accelerate record portfolio capital outflows from emerging economies and sharp currency devaluations in developing countries….Click here to Read More

BANKING & FINANCE

RBI opened Rs 50,000 cr Special Liquidity Facility for MFs from Apr 27-May 11,2020

i.Under “Special Liquidity Facility-Mutual Funds (SLF-MF)” RBI will conduct repo operations of 90 days tenor at the fixed repo rate.
ii.The timeline of the scheme is from April 27, 2020, to May 11, 2020, or up to utilization of the allocated amount, whichever is earlier.
What is Mutual Fund?
Mutual funds pool money from the investing public and use that money to buy other securities, usually stocks and bonds….Click here to Read More

COVID-19: Indian Overseas Bank introduces special borrowing programme for self-help groups

Indian Overseas Bank (IOB) has launched a special borrowing programme for Self Help Groups (SHGs) with better records, to help them in difficult situations arising out of Coronavirus (COVID-19).
i.A member of SHG will be given a maximum loan of Rs 5,000 & the limit for the group has been fixed at Rs 1 lakh. This loan will be sanctioned with an interest rate of 9.4 % for 1 year….Click here to Read More

ECONOMY & BUSINESS

Ind-Ra slashes India’s GDP growth forecast for FY21 to 1.9% from 3.6%

India Ratings and Research (Ind-Ra) has revised India’s gross domestic product (GDP) growth forecasts for the fiscal year 2020-21 (FY 21) to 1.9 % from 3.6% estimated earlier due to the impact of coronavirus (Covid-19) on the economy.
i.The ratings are lowest since the financial year 1991-92 when the pace of economic growth of the country was just 1.1 %….Click here to Read More

In a 1^st, NTPC to launch 20 hydrogen fuel bus and cars for Leh & New Delhi; seeks global EOI

In a 1^st , NTPC Vidyut Vyapar Nigam (NVVN) Limited, a wholly-owned subsidiary of NTPC Limited (formerly known as National Thermal Power Corporation Limited), has called for a global expression of interest (EoI) to buy 10 Hydrogen Fuel Cell (FC) based electric buses & 10 Hydrogen Fuel Cell-based electric cars to operate them in Delhi and Leh with the aim to reduce carbon emissions in the transportation sector….Click here to Read More

Chemicals, Petrochemicals contributed 14.35% of total exports; becomes top exporting sector for 1st time

In a progressive move, the chemical & petrochemical industry became the Indian top exporting sector for FY 2019-20 as the export of chemicals increased by 7.43% to Rs 2.68 lakh crore during the April-January period of FY 2019-2020 in comparison to the corresponding period of 2018-19. This industry contributed 14.35% of the total exports.

• Union Minister of Chemicals and Fertilizers Devaragunda Venkappa Sadananda Gowda has assured full support to the chemical industry towards and appreciated the efforts made by the Department of Chemicals and Petrochemicals making India a leading global hub for manufacturing of chemicals and petrochemicals.

APPOINTMENTS & RESIGNATIONS         

RBI extends Madhavan Menon’s term as part-time Chairman of CSB Bank

On April 25, 2020, CSB (Catholic Syrian Bank), the private sector bank announced that RBI (Reserve Bank of India) has extended the term of appointment of Madhavan Menon as the part-time Chairman of the Bank till July 21, 2020.
Key Points:
i.The extension of Mahavan Menon is in terms of Section 10B (1A)(i) of the Banking Regulation Act, 1949.
ii.About Madhavan Menon: He was appointed as part-time Chairman of CSB Bank for a period of 1 year with effect from April 22, 2019. He is Chairman and Managing Director (MD) of Thomas Cook (India) Limited.
iii.He has also been serving as the Non-Executive Director of the CSB Bank since September 3, 2018.
iv.Menon is a nominee director of FIH-Mauritius Investments Limited, which held 49.73% stake in the Bank as at March-end 2020.
About Catholic Syrian Bank (CSB):
Headquarters– Thrissur, Kerala.
Tagline– Support All the Way.
Chief Executive Officer (CEO) & Managing Director (MD)– Rajendran Chinna Veerappan.

ACQUISITIONS & MERGERS         

HDFC acquires 6.43% stake in Reliance Capital through invocation

HDFC (Housing Development Finance Corporation Ltd.)has acquired a 6.43% stake in debt-trapped Reliance Capital by invoking pledged shares. In this regard, HDFC has acquired 25.27 crore shares of Rs 10 each i.e. the total value of these shares is Rs 252 crore.
What is invoking pledged shares/invocation?
Pledged shares are those against which promoters of a company in need of capital take loans from banks and Non-Banking Financial Companies (NBFCs). For lenders, these shares are collateral (security for re-payment of loan). However the share price keeps fluctuating, the value of the collateral also changes so promoters are required to maintain the value of the collateral all the time by providing additional shares to lenders when their value erodes.

• The process of selling Pledged shares and invoking pledged shares is called invocation.

About Reliance Capital:
Parent organization– Reliance Group
Headquarters– Santacruz, Mumbai, Maharashtra
Chairman– Anil Dhirubhai Ambani
About HDFC Group:
Headquarters– Mumbai, Maharashtra
Chairman– Deepak Shantilal Parekh
Tagline– With You, Right Through

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

Pak Navy successfully test-fires anti-ship missiles in North Arabian Sea

On April 25, 2020, The Pakistan Navy has successfully test-fired a series of anti-ship missiles in the North Arabian Sea from surface ships, fixed and rotary-wing aircraft. The announcement was made by Pakistan Navy spokesperson Rear Admiral Arshid Javed and didn’t reveal the details of the drill.
Key Points:
i.Partakers: Pakistan’s Chief of the Naval Staff Admiral Zafar Mahmood Abbasi was present at the time of testing the missiles and witnessed the event along with Commander Pakistan Fleet Vice Admiral Asif Khaliq and other senior naval officers.
ii.Significance: The successful demonstration of the missile test is a testimony to the operational capability and military preparedness of Pakistan’s navy.
iii.Background: After the removal of Article 370 from Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) by the Indian government in 2019,the relations between India and Pakistan have deteriorated further, which in turn ended diplomatic relations with India.
About Pakistan:
Capital– Islamabad
Currency– Pakistani rupee
Prime minister– Imran Khan
President– Arif Alvi

IIT Delhi develops Dashboard PRACRITI to predict Covid-19 spread

On 24th April 2020, The Researchers team led by Prof.N M Anoop Krishnan of IIT Delhi’s Civil Engineering Department with Prof. Hariprasad Kodamana of the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT)-Delhi developed a web-based mobile-friendly dashboard named Prediction and Assessment of Corona Infections and Transmission in India “PRACRITI” to predict the spread of Covid-19 in India and gives a state-wise and district-wise predictions….Click here to Read More

ARCI in collaboration with Nanomechanics Inc., has developed NanoBlitz 3D

i.International Advanced Research Centre for Powder Metallurgy and New Materials (ARCI) under the Department of Science &Technology in collaboration with Nanomechanics Incorporated(Inc.,) have developed NanoBlitz 3D, ii.An advanced tool to map nano-mechanical properties of constituent phases, features or components of multiphase alloys, composites, multi-layered coatings & others….Click here to Read More

CSIR-IICT collaborates with LAXAI Life Sciences to reduce dependency for APIs and drug intermediates

i.Indian Institute of Chemical Technology, under the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research has collaborated with LAXAI Life Sciences Private Limited to develop and manufacture Active pharmaceutical ingredients and drug intermediates.
ii.It will help to reduce dependency of the Indian pharmaceutical sector on Chinese imports of these ingredients….Click here to Read More

CeNS develops TriboE masks to protect healthy individuals from COVID-19

A team of researchers at the Centre for Nano and Soft Matter Sciences (CeNS), Bangalore, has come up with face masks, termed as TriboE Mask comprising of polypropylene layers on the outside and nylon layer in between that can hold electric charges to restrict the entry of infections, without any external power….Click here to Read More

National Innovation Foundation (NIF) boosts new varieties of Anthurium, by VasiniBai, lady innovator from Kerala

D VasiniBai, a women innovator from Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, has developed 10 varieties of Anthurium by cross-pollination. The salient features of the Anthurium varieties are: large beautiful flowers, different colors of spathe and spadix, long stalks, better shelf life and good market value….Click here to Read More

SPORTS

Middle distance runner Jhuma Khatun handed 4 year ban for failing dope test

On 25th April 2020, Indian middle-distance runner Jhuma Khatun was banned for four years for using banned substances(Steroids) by the Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) of the World governing body for the doping case from 2018 in which the National Dope Testing Laboratory (NDTL) failed to detect and later tested positive for dehydrochloromethyl testosterone in Montreal Laboratory in Canada.
i.The sample from 31-year-old Jhuma Khatun collected during the National Inter-State Championships in June 2018 in Guwahati meet in which she won bronze each in 1500 m and 5000 m, tested negative for presence of substances by the National Dope Testing Laboratory (NDTL).
ii.In November 2018, she was suspended due to the charges of AIU, she waived her right for the confirmatory ‘B’ sample test and accepted Adverse Analytical Finding(AAF).
iii.In January 2019, Khatun provided her medical file to the AIU, which did not show the origin of the AAF.
iv.Earlier this month AIU offered Khatun an opportunity to admit the Anti-Doping Rule Violation (ADRV) and accept the ban of 4 years or to ask a Disciplinary tribunal hearing before April 13 where she admitted the substance abuse and accepted the four-year ban.
v.Four other Indians including Nirmala Sheoran, 2017 Asian Champion quarter-miler, whose sample returned negative from NDTL were found positive in Montreal Laboratory test.

About WADA: HQ – Montreal, Canada

OBITUARY

Former Bihar and Tripura Governor Devanand Konwar passed away at 86

On April 26, 2020, Devanand Konwar, former Governor of Bihar and Tripura and Veteran Congress leader passed away at the age of 86 in Guwahati, Assam. He was born in 1934 in Sivasagar, Assam.
Key Points:
i.About Devanand Konwar: He served as Governor of Bihar from July 24, 2009 to March 8, 2013, and of Tripura between March 25, 2013 and June 29, 2014. Konwar had also served as governor (additional charge) of West Bengal from December 2009 to January 2010.
ii.Konwar had joined the Congress in 1955 as a student leader. He became a Cabinet minister in the governments of Assam headed by Hiteswar Saikia and later by Tarun Gogoi.
iii. Being a constitutional head of three states and as a minister of the Assam government, He was also an eminent advocate who contributed immensely to the general welfare of the people and socio-political landscape of the country.

IMPORTANT DAYS

World Intellectual Property Day 2020 on April 26

World Intellectual Property Day established by the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), is celebrated every year on April 26 to educate and learn about the role that Intellectual Property (IP) rights that support and encourage innovation and creativity in creating a green future.The day coincides with the date on which the convention establishing the WIPO entered into force in 1970. The theme of this year is “Innovate for a Green Future”….Click here to Read More

International Chernobyl Disaster Remembrance Day 2020: April 26

International Chernobyl Disaster Remembrance Day is observed on April 26 every year. The day remembers the explosion at the No.4 reactor in the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant near the city of Pripyat in the north of the Soviet Ukraine, in 1986 which spread a radioactive cloud over large parts of the Soviet Union Federation….Click here to Read More

World Penguin Day 2020 on April 25

25th April of every year is celebrated as World Penguin Day to create awareness about the threat to the existence of these flightless birds. The Antarctic and Southern Ocean Coalition (ASOC), mentioned that this day coincides with the annual northern migration of Adelie penguins of Antarctica….Click here to Read More

STATE NEWS

MP CM Shivraj Singh Chauhan launches Jeevan Shakti Yojana

i.Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chauhan launched Jeevan Shakti Yojana.
ii.To enable women in urban areas to earn by making masks at home, where the government will pay them Rs 11 per mask….Click here to Read More

*******

Current Affairs Today (AffairsCloud Today)

Share Our “AffairsCloud Today” to Your Friends